Penny Lane: Paul's Childhood Memories In A Song | UnBeatled Ep7

Welcome to the seventh episode of UnBeatled, a channel where we take a deep dive on every single song The Beatles ever recorded, unpicking the music, the lyrics, the cultural context at the time and the impact the song had for the band's success in the UK and world.

In this episode @DavidBennettPiano and Beatles historian David Stark delve into Penny Lane, a reflection on the band's childhood and life in Liverpool.

Since the Fab Four had given up touring at this point, Penny Lane was a song they recorded thinking they would never play it live on stage - redefining how they laid the song down in the studio.

Sit back and watch the history, the music and the trivia before listening to the song in full on Spotify below:

https://open.spotify.com/track/1h04XMpzGzmAudoI6VHBgA

FULL LYRICS
In Penny Lane, there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he's had the pleasure to know
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say hello
On the corner is a banker with a motorcar
And little children laugh at him behind his back
And the banker never wears a mac in the pouring rain
Very strange
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
Wet beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit and meanwhile back in
Penny Lane, there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen
He likes to keep his fire engine clean
It's a clean machine
Penny Lane, is in my ears and in my eyes
A four of fish and finger pies
In summer, meanwhile back
Behind the shelter in the middle of a roundabout
A pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray
And though she feels as if she's in a play
She is anyway
Penny Lane, the barber shaves another customer
We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim
And then, the fireman rushes in from the pouring rain
Very strange
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit and meanwhile back
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
Penny Lane


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0:00 Introduction
2:30 First Thoughts
11:11 Context & Quitting Touring
15:04 Writing & Recording
16:50 What Is Happening Musically?
23:49 Lyrics
30:10 Release & Impact
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